Tied to Yesterday
by sophiecognito
Summary: No one said getting into college was easy, especially if that was your only option. Sometimes you have to improvise, even if it involves tussling with Pokemon in another region. (Original Trainer fic)
1. Prologue

_Tied to Yesterday_

-.-.-

Emma read the letter again. And again. And again until the words were blurred and meaningless.

"Fuck me," she said. The letter crumpled in her fist.

She couldn't tell him. Shame and disappointed coiled in her stomach.

Looking at the clock, she calculated the time her uncle would come home. "Six hours to work this out," she said, swiping at her eyes. Artemis, their pet delcatty, strolled into her room. She needed a way to buy more time on a long term basis. Unconsciously, Emma scratched behind the delcatty's ear, thinking up a solution, even a temporary one. She could figure out the rest as she went. She couldn't tell him of the news; it would devastate him more than it did to her. Sure it was her life dream, she rationalized even as tears started to form, but it was him pushing for it to happen too.

She frowned. Most of her friends had gone to Sinnoh for their senior trip, skiing near Snowpoint. Because of a lack of funds and for the letter, Emma decided to stay home and now when she needed her friends, she couldn't seek their advice. Calling them would be impossible, plus the extra charge from calling long distance would cause suspicion. Artemis rubbed her body against Emma's legs. The ones that had stayed in Hoenn weren't in Slateport either. It was a gamble to try and contact them.

"Stupid second-wavers," she said without conviction, scratching behind her ear. Of course they would leave the moment the diploma was in their hands. Not even a goodbye before they left on their short-lived pokemon journey. Everyone knew it was a last hooray of freedom before college, pokemon added for the extra challenge. What better way to spend three months than travelling the old-fashioned way without any supervision.

_Wait, pokemon…_Artemis purred into her hand and climbed into her lap. Brow furrowed, she considered the idea before springing into action. Leaning toward her nightstand without disturbing her pet, Emma snatched her phone between a shot glass and a space shuttle model. Looking through her contacts, she searched for the one who could potentially get her out of this mess. It was a long shot, considering he was at Johto. It was closer region than Sinnoh that was for sure and even better, covered by her phone plan. She clicked the call button and waited.

On the third ring, he answered, voice as tired as usual. "Hello?"

"Hey, Kyle is me, Emma so I was wondering how much I have to do to get a trainers license and a lab starter?" The first step of her plan had been set in motion.

She knew that telling her uncle Vincent would not go smoothly.

"Are you sure? This is all a bit too sudden, if you ask me," he said, bringing her into a hug. He was warm and comforting and for a moment Emma hated him. Just giving her affection was enough to send her guilt into overdrive. "What about college? You got accepted into one of the most sought after universities in Hoenn."

It was as if her uncle stabbed her in the chest. Pulling herself away from him, she adjusted her shirt. She swallowed the feeling, hoping that her smile didn't waver. This was the moment she could not screw up at all.

"Psh,, that? I talked it over with them. They have a program that allows you to start a year later if you become a trainer recently." She was glad she had the whole morning and afternoon to look things up. White Stone University in Mossdeep did have such a program, but it obviously had more strict guidelines such as competing in the gym circuit, catching and recording data on Pokemon. The thing about lying was that you had to mix some truth into it so it would sound real. By the time her uncle came home, Emma was ready for any specific question about the program.

"You did this without talking it over?" Vincent crossed his arms. Arriving at the rehearsed portions (sometimes her uncle was just so predictable), Emma relaxed. No more lies until a bit later.

"Nope!" Grabbing her pokegear, she showed Vincent the recent call list. "I talked it over with Kyle for a long, long time." At the mention of Kyle, Vincent uncrossed his arms. One way to convince her uncle was to use his own friends against him. Emma watched with satisfaction as his shoulders lost their tension. Sitting down by the kitchen he took a sip of his water.

"Ah. It would've been nice if I had any input in this," he said. "This throws what we've been planning for a while, education wise." She didn't know what to make of his face. His blue eyes were intense against the glass of water and his lips were a fine line. To break up the awkwardness roiling in the kitchen, Emma busied herself by cutting some bread to snack on. They said nothing, Vincent drinking water periodically and Emma nibbling at the bread.

Batting crumbs away from her mouth after swallowing, she said softly, "I know, uncle. It's a lot to take in." Not as much as being rejected by the university, though. "But I thought things through, okay? Like I didn't become a trainer at ten when I had the chance."

"Thank Arceus," he muttered.

"And I was okay with that because of the situation at the moment." Vincent didn't comment on that; it was a given.

He was waiting for the cinch, the big persuasive argument as to her reasoning. She braced herself for the big moment. This was it, her whole argument to be swept away into the world of training. "Once I'm in college, I won't have another opportunity to have a pokemon journey."

"You'll have the summers in between semesters," Vincent pointed out. "You have no guarantee of even liking it now and it's for a whole year."

"What if I like it more? I can't just up and quit college to go on fully-fledged journey," she said. _Okay okay_, she repeated in a mantra. This was a predictable branch of conversation. She got this. "One year, uncle. One year to get it out of my system, plus it helps with the university!" Another bout of silence fell between them, the thump of her heart the only thing Emma could focus on.

He was frowning, but his face softened. Heart hammering a little faster, Emma could almost float.

"It's a year, though. Don't you think I'll miss you?" he said. There it was, acceptance. This time, Emma hugged Vincent, burying her face on his shoulder. She didn't want him to see her face, to see any hint of the wool she was putting over his eyes. She didn't put into thoughts how quickly her uncle accepted the news, the uneasiness barely noticeable in her relief.

"Obviously. I'll miss you a lot too," she whispered. Tears threatened to escape, but she shut her eyes. It worked. She was still in disbelief, clinging to him. "I'll call as much as possible," she said distantly, her mind whirling with too many thoughts.

"You better," he said with a laugh. They broke the hug. "When do you plan on leaving?" Emma wiped her eyes discreetly, just in case.

"Um, Kyle told me the whole process is already done. It takes a day to be approved so there's a twenty-four wait." She gestured around her. "I checked flights and there's one three days from now that's pretty cheap."

"Basically, you have everything planned out," he said, taking one last gulp of water. _Yeah, planned out in around five hours_, she thought. "I still want you to call that friend of yours that was a first waver. What's her name?"

"Julia." Not even a friend, just a fellow student who worked on drama projects with her, but close enough.

"I want you to call her and ask what she brings so you could be prepared."

"Fine, fine."

And just like that, it was back to normal as far as she could tell.

Her bags were packed and off to the side of her bed. She was glad of storing capsules since she wasn't used to packing light. She had asked Julia what she usually packed for her journey and found the answers a bit too much. No hairdryer or a razor? Julia was always pragmatic and hid in long sleeves, even in Hoenn, but Emma was going to start in the beginning of summer. Shorts and tank tops were always her summer uniform when she wasn't going out or dressing up. Oh well, she would have to get used to it on the road.

Emma sighed, plopping down on her bed. Wrinkling the covers underneath, she breathed them in, the scent of lavender soothing her jittery heart. It was okay; she would live without a few amenities. That was what cities and towns were for in her travels, right? Everything was set for her journey. She would take a plane in the early morning to Johto and meet Kyle in New Bark. _Just a few more hours_, she thought, turning off her lamp.

The last night sleeping in her bed and it felt like any other night. She pouted, willing herself to sleep. Tomorrow would be a long day, what with plane rides and setting up her journey. She breathed deeply. She cocooned herself in her blankets, closing her eyes.

The next day would take her far away, leaving a trail of lies.

-.-.-

End.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

"Hm, are you sure it doesn't bite?" Emma asked for the fifth time in a row after silent contemplation. The totodile kept looking at her, head tilted to the side. Despite the question, her face was mere inches away from its maws. Behind her, she heard Kyle sigh.

"He doesn't bite, Emma," Professor Elm repeated, voice breathy. "If you are worried about his biting tendencies, you can always choose from the other two standard starters. Even then, he's one of the best behaved totodiles I've had in a while."

"Nah, keep the others. I'm all about water starters," she said, reaching her full height as she stretched out her back. She hugged herself, not used to the cold AC in the lab. Leaning down to be face to face to her new pokemon was exhausting and she hasn't even started her journey yet. "I choose the totodile then, professor."

"Finally," Kyle said, appearing beside her to slap the totodile's pokeball into her open palm. "Here's his capsule- don't lose it or the pokemon." He rubbed his eyes under his reading glasses. Being a lab aide must be harder work than Emma thought. Kyle was probably running with a few hours of sleep. Somehow, she imagined college life to be that way, besides the partying and drinking.

At the thought of college, her mood lost its bounciness. No, her mind yelled. The point of this whole thing was to forget about the college thing. Shooing out those unpleasant thoughts, Emma aimed a smile at the totodile.

"I'm glad you have taken your first step to becoming a pokemon trainer," Elm said, voice regaining the stuffiness of rehearsed speech. "I'm sure you know the basics of using a pokeball, correct?" Emma nodded, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "Would you like to nickname your totodile? Naming your pokemon makes them more responsive in battle and in creating attachment."

"That was always the plan, professor," Emma said as she placed a finger to her chin. Her starter was blue and stout, with big gaping maws that would have her made shiver in apprehension if it weren't for his relaxed attitude. She had heard most totodiles liked to dance around and bite people, even their trainers, but this one was staring at her with those red eyes.

"Is this going to take long, Emma?" Kyle asked. Seeing that his duty was attended, Elm returned to his desk, reading up notes and memos. "I have some work to get to. Sorry if you wanted to stay and chat…" Emma had minimized the capsule and clasped it on her new trainer's belt. She frowned; she had missed talking with Kyle despite his demanding work. He noticed her change in expression and placed a hand on her shoulder. "If you want to wait till seven when I get off we can catch up over dinner."

"It's fine, dummy. You're working. I'm pretty tired but I want to reach Cherrygrove today," she said. Despite her nap while on the plane, Emma struggled to keep her eyes open at times. There was always calling him, right?

"If you say so. Are you gonna take forever on naming him?"

"I had five hours to think of a name for my starter, okay? I'm pretty sure what I'm calling the little rascal." Emma picked him up. He didn't resist. "His name is now Tlaloc." With a tired grin, she brandished her newly christened starter to Kyle. "Isn't he precious?"

Kyle narrowed his eyes, not liking the close proximity. "A rain god? Fitting, you copycat," he said, gently pushing the totodile away from his face.

"Hey!" She tried to sound hurt, but she laughed anyway. Tlaloc squirmed in her grasp so she set him down on the cold floor. He tilted his head up, observing her.

"Using my naming scheme and everything, can't believe it," Kyle said with a shake of his head. "But I like it." She flashed him a thumbs up.

"Heh, that's quite a name there," Elm said under his breath, still in his desk. Writing on a sticky note, he swiveled his chair to face Kyle and Emma. "Kyle, I must ask you a favor." That should have been her cue to leave, but she lingered with her starter. "Pockett wants to look over a specific pokemon egg he recently bought. I was wondering if you could deliver it to me?"

"Another one?" Kyle sighed. "Doesn't Mister Pokemon ever stop doing that?"

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Mister Pokemon, really?"

"Now, Kyle, no need for that nickname," Elm said. "He thinks this egg is a little different from the others."

"No problem, professor. I'll get Huitz and-"

"Where is his house?" Emma asked, interrupting. When Elm replied that it was past Cherrygrove, she shot a sly glance at Kyle. He was already starting to shake his head, having a good idea at what she was thinking. "I think it would be better if Kyle would accompany me to Cherrygrove on the way, help a rookie and all." Her smile was sweet, but on its way to turning into a smirk.

"Why?" Kyle deadpanned, wincing at the bright afternoon sun. He had taken off his pristine lab coat, wearing shorts and a purple shirt. Ten minutes had passed since they had left the lab and they were by the town's outskirts. Already there were signs of wild pokemon, a pair of sentrent rolling around fallen leaves.

"Because I need a guide!" Emma shouldered her bag, scuffing the ground as she did so. Tlaloc mimicked the scuffing, looking down.

"What a load of bull."

Route 29 met Emma's expectations to what a cliché travelling route looked like. The street slowly disappeared into a worn out dirt path, with tall grass edging around it. The chattering of pidgeys started getting louder the more she approached the route. _Goodbye civilization_, she thought, even if New Bark was only a small town.

"Aw, come on, don't you want some quality time with me?" She pouted and elbowed him. Her attention shifted to her new pokemon. Scratching his belly, Tlaloc looked non-threatening, even with those claws and massive maws. "Hey, cutie," she called down to her pokemon. "Do you want to walk with us or do you want me to carry you?"

Kyle dodged her playful attack. "He doesn't like to be carried," he said. "I think this is the best time for him to exercise and for you to get a feel on how to command him." Tlaloc nodded as if he understood what the man was saying.

With a yawn, Emma shrugged, the weight of her bag straining her shoulders. She had packed too much even with all of the storing capsules she used. Maybe carrying Tlaloc was a bad idea like Kyle said. "Oh well. Maybe later if he gets tired."

"He will. It's almost a three hour walk." He fished out a pokeball from his pocket. After a short burst of light, a pidgeot fluttered its wings before taking flight. At Emma's questioning glance, he said, "Just in case your pokemon gets overwhelmed."

"Thanks, Kyle! So how's life been treating you in the middle of nowhere?"

Just like that, they slipped into casual conversation. Despite the age difference, Emma got along with Kyle easily. Today though, she could feel that no matter what subject she brought up he would maneuver the conversation to another route she rather not visit. Instead of waiting for the question, Emma would ask about totodile care. Focusing on what he was interested in was a sure fire way to get him off her hair. No matter how far she stretched it out, the topic ran its course quickly. It took five minutes of silence before he said it and it caught her by surprise.

"So are you going to tell me why you really wanted me to set you up to become a trainer?" Kyle asked after half an hour of walking. Emma stiffened, breaking up her even pace. The totodile took a few extra seconds to notice his trainer lagging. When he did, Tlaloc waddled back besides her.

"Heh, well, remember, I'm in the prime age for the second wave itch so yeah I took the opportunity and stuff," she said with a too big smile. "Isn't this weather the perfect one to start a journey? I mean, it's sunny and breezy and not a cloud in sight! Sure, it ain't Hoenn, but-"

"Emma."

"It would do. Nothing can beat a Hoenn summer, am I right? Oh, you still haven't visited Hoenn, right, Kyle?"

"Emma."

"I-I can tell Uncle to let you crash there and-and," her voice wavered just as much as her blurry vision. She swiped at her eyes, hoping Kyle was distracted.

"Emma," he said it gently this time, stopping their trek. He was a few steps ahead of her so he closed the distance between them. The tears were running down her cheeks so she turned her head to the side. "Hey, hey, it's okay. You don't have to tell me if it's that personal." Huitz, his Pidgeot, squawked overhead, confused of their delay. Creating space, she stuck out her arm.

"No, no, it's okay, Kyle." She waved her hand in dismissal. "I don't mind telling you, but," she squeezed the last tears out. No more crying, it didn't suit her _at all_. "Can you promise me not to tell Uncle?"

As she expected, Kyle didn't take well to the request. He raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"Not until you promise to keep a tight lid on it, especially from Uncle." No way was she going to tell anyone that could call up her uncle easily. Heat rushed to her face in a mix of anger and embarrassment.

"I would think that you would trust me by now, considering I didn't tell Vincent about your starter and the licensing process," he said. He cut her off before she could reply.

"Yeah, well that's different," she said in her defense. Still unimpressed, he crossed his arms. He was right; they both knew it.

"You seriously called me like you were crying, asking for a license and a starter as if your life depended on it. Do you think I don't worry what the hell happened to you, kid? I was so close to calling Vincent because I thought it was somehow his fault, even if that would be impossible considering how much he cares about you." Anger seized her, hot and sudden. Of course she knew Vincent cared for her. That had weight in her reasoning in the first place.

"I didn't get in the college Uncle and I wanted," she snapped.

Silence. Emma could feel him judging her. It had to be the stupidest and most pathetic reason to start a journey. Now Kyle knew and whatever she had thought of her plan plummeted to it being an irrational action.

"Emma…"

"I know it's fucking stupid, you don't need to tell me," she said, voice rising. Tlaloc moved one of his small arms, claws close to her bare leg. Her bag's weight was unbearable so she dropped it to the ground with a loud thunk. Startled, Tlaloc jumped away. "Sorry, buddy," she murmured to him.

"Good. That saves me some time," Kyle said. "Huitz, circle above us. We're going to take a break here." The pidgeot heard and did as it was ordered. Not waiting on him, Emma sat leaning against a tree. She breathed, trying to calm down. No reason to get shouty at Kyle. There was a sentret near their improvised camp and Tlaloc took the opportunity to battle it.

"I thought I would get into White Stone," she started, wanting the conversation to end as quickly as possible. The totodile eyed his opponent as it balanced on its fluffy tail.

"Didn't you have other choices?" Kyle sat down next to her, shoulder brushing. The sentret hopped on its tail, launching toward Tlaloc. Emma wasn't looking, preferring to stare at her interlocked hands.

"I did, and well, I got wait listed on White Stone. I really believed I had a chance. I mean, basically I was accepted it was that there just wasn't any space for me," she whispered. It was a dumb move to decline the other universities that accepted her, but she had been confident she would get in. Placing her head between her drawn up knees, she closed her eyes.

The sentret collided against Tlaloc's chest. He was unfazed, head tilted. Falling into it back, the sentret was vulnerable. He wasted no time and started to scratch the furball. Tiny screeches of pain filled the clearing.

Kyle ignored them. "And then you got out right rejected," he guessed and Emma's head moved just an inch upward. "This isn't something you can hide easily, you know. Vincent is going to find out sooner or later."

"Hopefully not from _you_," she said. "I already covered up that." She looked up and, brushing away her hair, discovered a half-dead sentret in Tlaloc's jaws. Droplets of blood fell into the dirt and grass. Her brows joined. "Uh…did I just miss your first battle?"

Bumping his shoulder against hers, Kyle said, "You sure did." The mirth left his voice. "You lied to him about something so big! You are digging yourself into a very deep hole." He faced her directly and Emma couldn't look away.

"Don't say that. You don't know that," she muttered, her voice a shadow of what it usually was. "If he does find out, it'll be in a while so by then I'll have worked on something else." _It'll work out, you'll see. I know what I'm doing_. Kyle shut his eyes briefly, a frown set in place.

"Okay. I don't know." His eyes were clear when he opened them, but there was something in them that Emma couldn't decipher. He squeezed her shoulder. "Congrats on your first pokemon battle." The whiplash caught her unaware and she had to blink back to the present. Tlaloc had spat out the sentret that was dead by now. He was as calm as he was before the battle, licking his claws.

"Kyle, I-" he gave her a look and she stuttered to a pause. There was nothing else to say, the look said.

"I can't really do anything. What's done is done and you'll have to face the consequences of that." It was a close of a blessing and ending to the conversation Emma was going to have so she took it. _He won't tell Uncle_, she thought with relief flooding her. She didn't thank him; he would disregard it.

"Kyle, why is there blood on Tlaloc's claws?" And life as a trainer continued.

It came in handy that Tlaloc was a water type. Cleaning him was easier when he could just spray the water into his claws. That was how Emma learned that he knew water gun.

Tlaloc was blasting every pidgey with bursts of water. Around half of the attacks missed, making Emma giggle. He wasn't fazed by his failures, scoping for more opponents.

"He's so cute, trying to hit all of 'em," she said, wanting to scoop him up into her arms. She refrained, thinking he might need the experience and remembering his dislike of being carried around. After their break early in their trek, Kyle and Emma had gained good time. At first their stilted conversation drowned out the sounds of wildlife. Now it had developed into Emma cooing about her starter.

"It takes time for totodiles to aim correctly, especially against flying types. Keep him doing that or try to teach him through games," Kyle said, watching his pidgeot soar overhead, keeping watch for any stronger than usual pokemon. He had warded off a skarmory once already. Emma smirked.

"Maybe Tlaloc could practice on Huitz," she suggested with her attempt of a cackling villain. Kyle laughed at her expression, checking his pokegear. They had been walking for two hours now. Cherrygrove would be coming up in less than an hour. The road was not a dirt path anymore, changing to asphalt. If it were night, they would have seen the city lights, but there was plenty of daylight left, considering the season. "Hey, I was serious! What better way to train Tlaloc than through a fully evolved pokemon?"

"He'll be knocked out, ten seconds flat," Kyle said.

"I meant Huitz holding back."

"So did I."

Emma huffed, planting fists on her hips, her stride becoming more of a strut. "You know what? I'm going to train Tlaloc to be a bird killer and then we're going to battle you." A nearby pidgey that was dodging Tlaloc's attacks, kicked sand in his face. "Close your eyes so no more sand gets in them, Tlaloc and aim directly in front of you."

Instead, he rubbed his eyes. The pidgey took the opportunity to fly over and peck the totodile. An attack that would only be an annoyance before now broke Tlaloc's balance. Tittering on one stubby leg, it took the pidgey one more attack before Tlaloc landed on the ground.

"Hey, foul! Stop, you stupid pidgey." Emma made shooing motions, ready to interfere. Kyle grabbed her by the elbow. Tlaloc tried waving the bird away in vain. Next came his water guns attack, which the pidged dodged nimbly.

"Huitz, scare it off," he said. The pidgeot swept in and with a chirp slapped the younger bird pokemon away. It collided with a tree branch before flying away. "I think Tlaloc shouldn't battle until we reach the pokemon center." Letting go of her, Emma ran toward her starter. She crouched, checking his eyes. Most of the dirt and sand had been cleared.

"Are you okay? I think a break would suit you right now, sweetie," Emma said, rubbing the top of its scaly head. Glancing at Kyle, she risked a question. "Want me to carry you?" He nodded slowly before she hefted him up, close to her chest. Tlaloc had lost the battle, but at least he allowed her to carry him. She counted it as a victory nonetheless.

After checking to see if the pidgey did not call for reinforcements, they resumed their walk. It was just a coincidence that Emma was power walking through it. First few hours into her journey and she underestimated the wild pokemon already. Okay, maybe not underestimated them, but she thought that Tlaloc would handle them all the way over to Cherrygrove. Emma sighed, resting her chin on top of Tlaloc.

"Wow, Cherrygrove sucks," Emma said, leaving the pokemon center. The sun was starting to set, painting the nearby sea in golden tones. The breeze was soft, but cooling against her skin. It reminded her of home and she thought of her uncle briefly. "It's a cheap knock off of Slateport." _Keep talking, keep talking, don't think. _

"You ready to head out again? Mister Pockett is in the outskirts of town, if you want to join me," Kyle said. This was how far she demanded the escort, she remembered suddenly with a dull ache. She knew what she was getting into when she made the plans. She would be travelling alone most of the time, save for the company of her pokemon.

"Well," she stretched the word out, looking over the sea. It was worse than a cheap knock off of Slateport; it would need a crappy open air market for that. There was nothing remotely interesting in Cherrygrove that she could see. "Well, since it's getting dark, I'm gonna stay the night here, even if this the most boring place I've seen."

"You've only been here for twenty minutes, kid."

"That's enough to make an impression. This place could be a perfect tourist trap if they did a few changes." She tapped her phone that she had taken out to check the time. A text from her uncle flashed once, enough time to read it. _I hope you're having a great first day. Call me tomorrow for details? _

"Who cares, really?" Kyle said, not interested in tourism or any kind of subject near that. "Come on, let's go. I want to return to the lab before midnight at least." Emma snapped back into reality, not noticing she slipped at away in the first place.

"Fine, fine. I think you have the professor voice down, no need to pull it on me," she said, joining him. Tlaloc was resting in his pokeball for now. "Are you…are you really not going to tell uncle?" She replied to his text with a smiley face and a promise to call him early tomorrow.

Kyle exhaled sharply, hands clasped behind his back as he walked. "I already told you what I thought of this."

"Okay, just checking!"

The outskirts Cherrygrove didn't fare any better than the main city (or was it town? Emma wasn't sure). The only redeeming factor were the trees in full bloom, tinted yellow because of the setting sun. A few meters away was a small two storied house nestled between a rock face and a few berry trees. Nothing remarkable, fitting with the whole town, Emma surmised.

"I'll wait for you outside," she said. She didn't want to interact with any more professionals of the pokemon variety. Her legs ached and she almost regretted accompanying Kyle for this extra walk. Kyle made a noise of agreement while ruffling her hair. As if it wasn't tangled enough.

"It won't take long, I promise," he said and knocked on the door.

"Yeah, yeah. Do your job." She waved her hand around. A man opened the door and let Kyle in after a brief greeting. The door closed with cringing hinges.

Her phone went off three minutes later. She froze, hand searching her shorts' pocket for it. Her first thought was that the plan was over, that she was discovered. Two things came out from checking the caller I.D. First, it wasn't Vincent. The second was that it was a local number. Deciding against sanity, she picked up the call.

"He-"

"I hope this is Miss Emma because Kyle left his phone in the lab and-" The voice was scrambled, high-pitched and hard to understand, but Emma could recognize the voice.

"Professor Elm?"

"Get me Kyle on the phone now!" The mild mannered professor from earlier today was replaced by whatever was screaming at the end of the other line. Her heart was racing now as she jumped over to the front door. She knocked frantically.

"What happened?"

"Someone broke into the lab and stole a pokemon. Get me Kyle now!"

-.-

Chapter 1-end

The question is not _will_ Vincent find out. It's _when_ will he find out.


End file.
